US Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This is unsettling. The U.S. government will force the Catholic Church to pay for insurance which covers contraception for her employees even though\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2012\/01\/us-bishops-vow-to-fight-hhs-edict.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is unsettling. 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{"id":472,"date":"2012-01-24T18:47:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-24T18:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2012\/01\/us-bishops-vow-to-fight-hhs-edict.html"},"modified":"2012-01-24T18:47:00","modified_gmt":"2012-01-24T18:47:00","slug":"us-bishops-vow-to-fight-hhs-edict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2012\/01\/us-bishops-vow-to-fight-hhs-edict.html","title":{"rendered":"US Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

WASHINGTON\u2014The Catholic bishops of the United States called \u201cliterally unconscionable\u201d a decision by the Obama Administration to continue to demand that sterilization, abortifacients and contraception be included in virtually all health plans. Today\u2019s announcement means that this mandate and its very narrow exemption will not change at all; instead there will only be a delay in enforcement against some employers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences,\u201d said Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.<\/p>\n

The cardinal-designate continued, \u201cTo force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable. It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HHS rule requires that sterilization and contraception \u2013 including controversial abortifacients \u2013 be included among \u201cpreventive services\u201d coverage in almost every healthcare plan available to Americans. \u201cThe government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs,\u201d added Cardinal-designate Dolan.<\/p>\n

At issue, the U.S. bishops and other religious leaders insist, is the survival of a cornerstone constitutionally protected freedom that ensures respect for the conscience of Catholics and all other Americans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is nothing less than a direct attack on religion and First Amendment rights,\u201d said Franciscan Sister Jane Marie Klein, chairperson of the board at Franciscan Alliance, Inc., a system of 13 Catholic hospitals. \u201cI have hundreds of employees who will be upset and confused by this edict. I cannot understand it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, voiced disappointment with the decision. Catholic hospitals serve one out of six people who seek hospital care annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a missed opportunity to be clear on appropriate conscience protection,\u201d Sister Keehan said.<\/p>\n

Cardinal-designate Dolan urged that the HHS mandate be overturned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Catholic bishops are committed to working with our fellow Americans to reform the law and change this unjust regulation. We will continue to study all the implications of this troubling decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"